[CT Birds] C Redpoll
Robert J. Bitondi
rjbitondi at sbcglobal.net
Sun Dec 2 12:03:19 EST 2007
Pomfret yard (yesterday): single common redpoll at feeders (more interested in finch mix than thistle). Oddly enough, no sign of the siskins that had been around and the goldfinch flock has departed except for one bird.
Bob Bitondi
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Today's Topics:
1. Sunrise Birding Tour - Norwalk (streatham2003 at aol.com)
2. notable birds (Dave Rosgen)
3. Derby Empidonax (Greg Hanisek)
4. Fwd: East Hartford PINE GROSBEAKS (Nick Bonomo)
5. "Western" Flycatcher, Osbornedale State Park, Derby (Roy Harvey)
6. Trumbull Snow Geese (Christopher Lovell)
7. Song sparrows (Angeladimmitt at aol.com)
8. Addition to Newington yard list (Roy Zartarian)
9. Derby Snow Geese (Greg Hanisek)
10. Empid photo (Greg Hanisek)
11. Fox Sparrow (William Geist)
12. And another State first...most likely. (Mark Szantyr)
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Message: 1
Date: Sat, 01 Dec 2007 16:41:58 -0500
From: streatham2003 at aol.com
Subject: [CT Birds] Sunrise Birding Tour - Norwalk
To: ctbirds at lists.ctbirding.org
Message-ID: <8CA027A22548A8C-784-43DC at FWM-M08.sysops.aol.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Hi All,
I lead a fun walk today, despite the bittter winds with a dozen or so intrepid birders and a somewhat underprepared reporter in tow (who imagine thought us quite mad). Things were fairly quiet but we were putting together a few nice birds for the day in an area that I may be doing the Christmas Bird Count in a couple of weeks so it was nice to see American Kestrel, Pied-billed Grebe etc. The two best stops of the day were: A visit to 14 Acre Pond which produced a particularly nice drake Northern Pintail amongst the Coots, Green-winged Teals and a host of other puddle ducks. The real highlight of the day however was a fortunately timed stop at Manressa Island where I managed to spot a distant string of white birds. This string rapidly became many strings and we were soon greeted by the arrival (high overhead) of easily 1000 plus SNOW GEESE. These included at least one 'BLUE GOOSE' and maybe a second (suprisingly hard to track these birds as they moved around forming and
breaking v formations) . I did have a quick scan to try and spot a smaller bird but nothing jumped out at me. This group was about 20 or 30 times the size of any flock that I have previously encountered in CT. Beautifully lit up against the clear blue sky it really was a pretty magical sighting.
Luke Tiller, Tour Guide
Sunrise Birding www.sunrisebirding.com
>From Luke Tiller with Sunrise Birding Group
12/01 - Norwalk, Fourteen Acre Pond -- 1 drake Northern Pintail
12/01 - Norwalk, Manressa Island -- 1000 SNOW GEESE (including one 'BLUE GOOSE')l
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Message: 2
Date: Sat, 1 Dec 2007 17:24:31 -0500
From: "Dave Rosgen"
Subject: [CT Birds] notable birds
To:
Message-ID: <000a01c83468$f4e8a6b0$a300a8c0 at research>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
>From Cynthia Phipps, w/ Gerri Griswold, Lukas Hyder, et 12 al:
12/01 - Litchfield, White Hall Rd. (White Memorial's Ongley Field) - 200
SNOW GEESE overhead
>From Dave Rosgen:
12/01 - Litchfield, 71 White Hall Rd. (White Memorial's Office Feeders) - 1
Red-breasted Nuthatch, 1 Pine Siskin
80 White Hall Rd. (White Memorial's Museum Area) - 3 COMMON REDPOLLS
David Rosgen
Director of Research
White Memorial Conservation Center
P.O. Box 368
Litchfield, CT 06759
860-567-0857
dave at whitememorialcc.org
www.whitememorialcc.org
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Message: 3
Date: Sat, 1 Dec 2007 17:51:23 -0500
From: "Greg Hanisek"
Subject: [CT Birds] Derby Empidonax
To:
Message-ID: <003a01c8346c$b2c4e6a0$6e02a8c0 at internal.repam.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
I wanted to provide some information on ths excellent find by Roy Harvey at Osbornedale State Park in Derby. (Someone said we need to buy him a drink; Mark Szantyr said, "A drink? We should buy him a car!") In other words this is a real goodie.
All discussion needs to be couched in the cautious terminology required when dealing with Empidonax flycatchers somewhere other than on their breeding grounds. That being said, the concensus, as the bird provided excellent views on Saturday, was a likely Western Flycatcher.
Note that "Western" is a generic term in the sense that the species formerly known as Western Flycatcher has for some time consisted of two species - Pacific-slope and Cordilleran Flycatchers. They are essentially identical and are best separated by voice - specifically the males' calls. So out-of-range individuals can be correctly referred to as Western Flycatchers.
The bird is quite yellow on the throat, a featured shared with Yellow-bellied Flycatcher. However, this is one of those cases where seasonality makes a species that's more expected at one time of year a super-rarity at another. Although Yellow-bellied Flycatcher is a regular spring and fall migrant, it is essentially unknown in North America in late fall and winter. It's rare after about mid-September. Western Flycatcher would be a new species for Connecticut, but it has a history of late fall and early winter appearances in the East. It's very rare but not unexpected.
Some of the features that led those present toward Western included: slightly crested appearance at times, rather almond-shaped eyering, relatively long tail, grayish-brown rather than black wings, vigorous simultaneous flicking of wings and tail. These are relative features but in combination they help make a case for Western. Others will probably offer additional thoughts.
Many excellent photographs were taken and I'm sure before the night is over links will be available.
Greg Hanisek
Waterbury
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Message: 4
Date: Sat, 1 Dec 2007 18:00:44 -0500
From: "Nick Bonomo"
Subject: [CT Birds] Fwd: East Hartford PINE GROSBEAKS
To: "ctbirds at lists.ctbirding.org"
Message-ID:
<17734f0712011500r5a977f68y2684ce3958860cf6 at mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
I'm not sure that Fred is a subscriber to this list, so I'm passing
along his great report below.
On a related note, this current cold blast may usher in another push
of northern finches. The inclement weather forecast for
tomorrow/Monday could force more seed-eaters to bird feeders.
Nick Bonomo
Orange, CT
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Fred Nowak
Date: Dec 1, 2007 5:24 PM
Subject: East Hartford PINE GROSBEAKS
From Fred Nowak:
12/1 East Hartford, Gorman Park -- pair of PINE GROSBEAKS at 1:30pm
------------------------------
Message: 5
Date: Sat, 1 Dec 2007 15:19:56 -0800 (PST)
From: Roy Harvey
Subject: [CT Birds] "Western" Flycatcher, Osbornedale State Park,
Derby
To: ctbirds at lists.ctbirding.org
Message-ID: <130289.4131.qm at web83207.mail.mud.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
From Roy Harvey, Nick Bonomo, and a whole bunch of other birders:
12/01 - Derby, Osbornedale State Park, meadow across the street from
the Kellog Center parking -- probable "Western" Flycatcher. Bird was
first seen around 8:10 AM, and continued to be seen intermittently
but well until roughly 2:15. It was feeding along almost the entire
north/west edge of the field at the edge of the woods/brush. Most of
the time it was VERY close to the ground.
Thanks to Nick Bonomo for coming to check out my what-cound-this-be
phone call, and to Greg Hanisek for already posting on the
identification issues so that I don't have to pretend I can! 8-)
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&ll=41.338315,-73.109336&spn=0.011084,0.014312&t=h&z=16&om=1&msid=104793863447053647228.000440418f6e682971e36
http://maps.live.com/?v=2&cid=27129B7B7AD8CE3B!291&encType=1
On the second map be sure to turn on the "hybrid" option.
Roy Harvey
Beacon Falls, CT
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Message: 6
Date: Sat, 1 Dec 2007 18:46:19 -0500
From: "Christopher Lovell"
Subject: [CT Birds] Trumbull Snow Geese
To: ctbirds
Message-ID:
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
350-400 Snow geese flying high overhead above Booth Hill, Trumbull. So high
it was difficult to see individual birds, just skeins of white geese with
black wingtips.
--
Christopher Lovell
Trumbull, CT 06611
ctlovell at gmail.com
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Message: 7
Date: Sat, 1 Dec 2007 19:00:11 EST
From: Angeladimmitt at aol.com
Subject: [CT Birds] Song sparrows
To: ctbirds at lists.ctbirding.org
Message-ID:
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
from Angela Dimmitt
12/1 New Milford - with all these exotic northern species around, has
anybody noticed the Song Sparrows have headed south.................?
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Message: 8
Date: Sat, 1 Dec 2007 19:20:21 -0500
From: "Roy Zartarian"
Subject: [CT Birds] Addition to Newington yard list
To: CTBirds
Message-ID:
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
Seen at about 11 AM this morning while I was raking leaves was one Bald
Eagle in flight headed northwest. Batterson Pond is the most immediate
prominent body of water in that direction.
Roy Zartarian
Newington
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Message: 9
Date: Sat, 1 Dec 2007 19:30:33 -0500
From: "Greg Hanisek"
Subject: [CT Birds] Derby Snow Geese
To:
Message-ID: <003f01c8347a$8ce2afe0$6e02a8c0 at internal.repam.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Lost in the shuffle of the exciting flycatcher find, but consistent with reports from elsewhere, a flight of about 500 Snow Geese passed high over Derby while we were looking at the flycatcher. It was probably around noon. Amazing anyone spotted them since the flycatcher spent most of its time one to 3 feet off the ground!
Greg Hanisek
Waterbury
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Message: 10
Date: Sat, 1 Dec 2007 19:46:18 -0500
From: "Greg Hanisek"
Subject: [CT Birds] Empid photo
To:
Message-ID: <000a01c8347c$c0801e30$6e02a8c0 at internal.repam.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
A photograph of the Empidonax flycatcher found today in Derby has been posted by Julian Hough on the Surfbirds Web site. Go to the Photo Galleries and then to North American Stop Press. I suspect other photos will show up there during the course of the evening.
Greg Hanisek
Waterbury
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Message: 11
Date: Sat, 1 Dec 2007 17:28:15 -0800 (PST)
From: William Geist
Subject: [CT Birds] Fox Sparrow
To: ctbirds at lists.ctbirding.org
Message-ID: <571883.72017.qm at web83511.mail.sp1.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
While doing my Feederwatch in my yard in Newington, I saw a Fox Sparrow feeding with the other sparrows. Didn't stay long, but I saw it again for a few minutes on Friday. The first day I wasn't sure they are still around, but the second day I got a good look and am sure. Also have a couple of Grackles hanging around.
F Geist
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Message: 12
Date: Sun, 2 Dec 2007 00:16:08 -0500
From: "Mark Szantyr"
Subject: [CT Birds] And another State first...most likely.
To:
Message-ID: <006201c834a2$725616d0$0301a8c0 at markb2433df67f>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
reply-type=original
On Friday, while sorting through the geese at Lyman Orchard Pond in
Middlefield, I came across a goose that looked good for Cackling Goose but
not quite right for hutchinsii, or Richardson's Cackling Goose. I got a few
photos and did some research and forwarded the photos to a few west coast
goose pro's (real Anser - men). They seemed to concur with my thoughts that
the bird is more likely Branta hutchinsii taverneri, or Taverner's Goose. I
am quoting Angus Wilson's wonderful web site, Ocean Wanderers, "Taverner's
are geese of coastal tundra, nesting just inland of cackling Canadas on the
Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta and extending north to the Arctic Slope. Migrants
gather at Izembek Lagoon near Cold Bay for a direct trans-Pacific flight.
The literature suggests that Taverneri are longer-necked and longer-billed
than parvipes or hutchinsii but this needs more careful study. Thought to be
a rare migrant only to south and central states (e.g. Texas)."
If you are looking for this bird, look for a smallish canada goose with a
stubby bill but not as "cute" as hutchinsii, showing more of an elongated
sloping stubby bill. It also shows remnants of a white collar separating
the black neck from the gray breast.
mark
Mark S.Szantyr
80 Bicknell Road
Apt. 9
Ashford, CT 06278
USA
Birddog55 at Charter.net
860-487-9766
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